Surah 40. Ghafir

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-20 [2], 21-27 [3], 28-37 [4], 38-50 [5], 51-60 [6], 61-68 [7], 69-78 [8], 79-85 [9]

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Quran Text of Verse 38-50وَ قَالَAnd saidالَّذِیْۤthe one whoاٰمَنَbelievedیٰقَوْمِO my people!اتَّبِعُوْنِFollow meاَهْدِكُمْI will guide youسَبِیْلَ(to the) wayالرَّشَادِۚthe right یٰقَوْمِO my people!اِنَّمَاOnlyهٰذِهِthisالْحَیٰوةُthe lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldمَتَاعٌ ؗ(is) enjoymentوَّ اِنَّand indeedالْاٰخِرَةَthe Hereafterهِیَitدَارُ(is the) homeالْقَرَارِ (of) settlement مَنْWhoeverعَمِلَdoesسَیِّئَةًan evilفَلَاthen notیُجْزٰۤیhe will be recompensedاِلَّاbutمِثْلَهَا ۚ(the) like thereofوَ مَنْand whoeverعَمِلَdoesصَالِحًاrighteousnessمِّنْwhetherذَكَرٍmaleاَوْorاُنْثٰیfemaleوَ هُوَwhile heمُؤْمِنٌ(is) a believerفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseیَدْخُلُوْنَwill enterالْجَنَّةَParadiseیُرْزَقُوْنَthey will be given provisionفِیْهَاin itبِغَیْرِwithoutحِسَابٍ account 40. Ghafir Page 472وَ یٰقَوْمِAnd O my people!مَاHow (is it)لِیْۤfor meاَدْعُوْكُمْ(that) I call youاِلَیtoالنَّجٰوةِthe salvationوَ تَدْعُوْنَنِیْۤwhile you call meاِلَیtoالنَّارِؕthe Fire! تَدْعُوْنَنِیْYou call meلِاَكْفُرَthat I disbelieveبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ اُشْرِكَand (to) associateبِهٖwith Himمَاwhatلَیْسَnotلِیْfor meبِهٖof itعِلْمٌ ؗany knowledgeوَّ اَنَاand Iاَدْعُوْكُمْcall youاِلَیtoالْعَزِیْزِthe All-Mightyالْغَفَّارِ the Oft-Forgiving لَاNoجَرَمَdoubtاَنَّمَاthat whatتَدْعُوْنَنِیْۤyou call meاِلَیْهِto itلَیْسَnotلَهٗfor itدَعْوَةٌa claimفِیinالدُّنْیَاthe worldوَ لَاand notفِیinالْاٰخِرَةِthe Hereafterوَ اَنَّand thatمَرَدَّنَاۤour returnاِلَی(is) toاللّٰهِAllahوَ اَنَّand thatالْمُسْرِفِیْنَthe transgressorsهُمْtheyاَصْحٰبُ(will be the) companionsالنَّارِ (of) the Fire فَسَتَذْكُرُوْنَAnd you will rememberمَاۤwhatاَقُوْلُI sayلَكُمْ ؕto youوَ اُفَوِّضُand I entrustاَمْرِیْۤmy affairاِلَیtoاللّٰهِ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahبَصِیْرٌۢ(is) All-Seerبِالْعِبَادِ of (His) slaves فَوَقٰىهُSo Allah protected himاللّٰهُSo Allah protected himسَیِّاٰتِ(from the) evilsمَاthatمَكَرُوْاthey plottedوَ حَاقَand envelopedبِاٰلِ(the) peopleفِرْعَوْنَ(of) Firaunسُوْٓءُ(the) worstالْعَذَابِۚpunishment اَلنَّارُThe Fireیُعْرَضُوْنَthey are exposedعَلَیْهَاto itغُدُوًّاmorningوَّ عَشِیًّا ۚand eveningوَ یَوْمَAnd (the) Dayتَقُوْمُ(will be) establishedالسَّاعَةُ ۫the HourاَدْخِلُوْۤاCause to enterاٰلَ(the) peopleفِرْعَوْنَ(of) Firaunاَشَدَّ(in the) severestالْعَذَابِ punishment وَ اِذْAnd whenیَتَحَآجُّوْنَthey will disputeفِیinالنَّارِthe Fireفَیَقُوْلُthen will sayالضُّعَفٰٓؤُاthe weakلِلَّذِیْنَto those whoاسْتَكْبَرُوْۤاwere arrogantاِنَّاIndeed weكُنَّا[we] wereلَكُمْfor youتَبَعًاfollowersفَهَلْso canاَنْتُمْyouمُّغْنُوْنَavertعَنَّاfrom usنَصِیْبًاa portionمِّنَofالنَّارِthe Fire قَالَWill sayالَّذِیْنَthose whoاسْتَكْبَرُوْۤا(were) arrogantاِنَّاIndeed weكُلٌّallفِیْهَاۤ ۙ(are) in itاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahقَدْcertainlyحَكَمَhas judgedبَیْنَbetweenالْعِبَادِ (His) slaves وَ قَالَAnd will sayالَّذِیْنَthoseفِیinالنَّارِthe Fireلِخَزَنَةِto (the) keepersجَهَنَّمَ(of) HellادْعُوْاCallرَبَّكُمْyour Lordیُخَفِّفْ(to) lightenعَنَّاfor usیَوْمًاa dayمِّنَofالْعَذَابِ the punishment 40. Ghafir Page 473قَالُوْۤاThey (will) sayاَوَ لَمْDid there notتَكُDid there notتَاْتِیْكُمْcome to youرُسُلُكُمْyour Messengersبِالْبَیِّنٰتِ ؕwith clear proofsقَالُوْاThey (will) sayبَلٰی ؕYesقَالُوْاThey (will) sayفَادْعُوْا ۚThen callوَ مَاbut notدُعٰٓؤُا(is) the callالْكٰفِرِیْنَ(of) the disbelieversاِلَّاexceptفِیْinضَلٰلٍ۠error

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Translation of Verse 38-50

(40:38) The person endowed with faith said: “My people, follow me; I shall direct you to the Path of Rectitude.

(40:39) My people, the life of this world is ephemeral,⁵⁶ whereas the Hereafter, that is the permanent abode.

(40:40) Whosoever does an evil deed will be requited only with the like of it; and whosoever acts righteously and has attained to faith � be he a male or a female � they shall enter Paradise and be provided sustenance beyond all reckoning.

(40:41) My people, how is it that I call you to salvation while you call me to the Fire;

(40:42) you call me to deny Allah and to associate with Him as His partners those regarding whom I have no knowledge (that they are Allah's partners in His Divinity),⁵⁷ whereas I call you to the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving?

(40:43) There is no doubt that those whom you call me to have no claim to be called upon in this world and in the Hereafter.⁵⁸ Certainly to Allah shall be our return, and those who exceed the limits⁵⁹ are destined to the Fire.

(40:44) Soon you shall remember what I say to you. I entrust my affairs to Allah. Surely Allah is watchful over His servants.”⁶⁰

(40:45) Eventually Allah saved the person endowed with faith from all the evils of their guile,⁶¹ and a woeful chastisement⁶² encompassed the Pharaonites.

(40:46) They are exposed to the Fire every morning and evening; and when the Last Hour will come to pass, a command shall be given: “Admit the Pharaonites to an even more severe chastisement.”⁶³

(40:47) Just imagine when they will remonstrate with one another in Hell. The weak ones will say to those who waxed proud: “We were your followers. Will you, then, lighten for us a part of our suffering of the Fire?”⁶⁴

(40:48) Those who had waxed proud will reply: “All of us are in it. Allah has already passed His judgement among His servants.”⁶⁵

(40:49) Those suffering in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell: “Call upon your Lord to lighten the chastisement for us just for a day.”

(40:50) The keepers of Hell will ask: “Did your Messengers not come to you with Clear Signs?” They will say: “Yes (they did).” The keepers of Hell will say: “Then you yourselves should call (upon the Lord). And the call of the unbelievers will end in vain.”⁶⁶

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Commentary

56. The believer from among the Pharaonic community pointed out that they were exulting in the fleeting wealth and prosperity of this world, consigning God to oblivion. In short this was nothing but ignorance and folly.

57. The believer contended that there was no rational proof whatsoever that such false gods had any share with the One True God in His Divinity.

How could he, then, accept them to be God’s associates in Divinity? He, therefore, expressed his inability to endorse the outrageous proposition that there are beings that have a share in God’s Divinity and that they too are objects of man’s service along with God.

58. This is open to several meanings: (i) None has the right to invite people in this world or in the Next to take any as God’s associate in His Divinity. (ii) Those who were being treated as deities had been arbitrarily given that status by others rather than by themselves. In fact, they had neither laid claim to Godhead in this world and nor will lay claim to it in the Next World. (iii) There is no use calling upon these deities in either of the two worlds for they are absolutely powerless. Invoking them is - 4 thus pointless.

59. The words ‘those who exceed the limits’ refer to those who go beyond the limits of truth and right. These words apply to those who take others as God’s associates in His Divinity, or who lay claim to Divinity, or adopt a defiant posture towards God and believe that they have the right to act as they please. As a result of such false beliefs they commit all kinds of excesses against those with whom they come into contact — with their own selves, with other of God’s creatures, and with other objects of the universe. Such persons are guilty of transgressing all limits of reason and justice.

60. It is evident from the believer’s observation that he knew well that his affirmation of truth would incur Pharaoh’s wrath upon him; in other words, he knew that he would be deprived of his exalted position, would have to sacrifice his titles of honor as well as material interests and possibly even his life. Yet, reposing full trust in God, he discharged his duty to proclaim the truth. Even at that crucial juncture he acted in accord with his conscience.

61. One thus learns that this believer enjoyed such an important position in the kingdom that, notwithstanding his public defiance of Pharaoh, no punishment was instantly meted out to him. Rather, Pharaoh and his: courtiers had to resort to a secret plot to kill him. God, however, did not allow their plans to come to fruition.

62. The wording of-the text indicates that this incident took place - during the last stage of the conflict between the Prophet Moses (peace be - on him) and Pharaoh. Most probably Pharaoh had decided to assassinate the Prophet Moses (peace be on him). However, the public support extended to him by the believer mentioned above would have alerted Pharaoh to the fact that Moses’ call had even reached his own chiefs. Therefore, he decided first to identify those among his courtiers who had been influenced by Moses’ call and to eliminate them before taking any decisive action against the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) himself.

While Pharaoh was preoccupied, God directed the Prophet Moses (peace on him) and his companions to migrate. Ultimately, Pharaoh and his “army were drowned while pursuing Moses and his followers.

63. This verse clearly proves that punishment in the state of barzakhe transitional period between death and resurrection) is real (rather than figurative). Several ahadith describe this punishment as one that will be meted out to people in their graves. The verse under study unmistakably points to two kinds of punishment: the punishment of a lesser degree that was then being inflicted on Pharaoh and his followers, one which will last until the Day of Judgement. Such punishment consists in their being brought before Hellfire every morning and evening. This constantly fills such people with dread and horror in view of the fact that they will eventually be hurled into Hell. However, when the Day of Judgement comes, they will be subjected to the actual, major punishment destined for them - that is, they will be consigned to Hellfire, horror the Egyptians had witnessed every day following their drowning. Such punishment will not only be meted out to Pharaoh and his community.

Rather, all culprits will keep witnessing their ultimate punishment from the moment of their death until the Day of Judgement.

In contrast, the pious are shown a glimpse of their felicitous end which God has earmarked for them. Bukhari, Muslim and Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrate the tradition reported by ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace be on him) said: ‘If anyone of you dies, he is shown his final abode every morning and evening. If he is among the people of Paradise then the abode of the people of Paradise, and if he is among the people of Fire then the abode of the people of Fire. They are told that they will be transported to the place earmarked for them when God will resurrect them and summon them to His presence on the Day of Judgement.’ (Bukhari, Kitab al-Jana’iz, Bab al-Mayyit Yu'rad ‘alayhi Maq‘aduhu bi al- Ghadah wa al-‘Ashty; Muslim, Kitab al-Jannah wa Sifat Na’imiha wa Ahliha, Bab ‘Ard Mag‘ad al-Mayyit min al-Jannah aw al-Nar ‘alayhi wa Ithbat ‘Adhab al-Qabr wa al-Ta‘awwudh minhu; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, narrated by ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar.) (For further details see also al-Nisa’ 4: 97; al-Anfal 8: 50; al-Nahl 16: 28-32; al-Muminun 23: 99-100 and Ya Sin 36, nn. 22-3," Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IX, pp. 253-4.)

64. They will not say this because they entertain the hope that their former guides, rulers or leaders will truly be able to rescue them from punishment or have it lightened for them. For the truth will already have dawned on them that such people are of no avail to them. However, in order to further humiliate them, they will taunt them by saying in effect: ‘During the life of the world you led us with great pomp and: pelf. Will you now deliver us from this torment which, thanks to you, has. overtaken us?’

65. The misguiding leaders will confess before their devotees that both they and their devotees are culprits and have been convicted by God as guilty. Now it is in no one’s power to alter God’s judgement or to diminish even to the slightest extent the punishment that He has ordained for them.

66. The keepers of Hell will ask the unbelievers: ‘Did your Messengers not come to you with Clear Signs?’ Now, since Messengers had already come to them with Clear Signs the unbelievers will be punished for they had rejected their message. The angels who are the keepers of Hell will, therefore, be left with no justifiable reason to. pray to God on their behalf that they be rescued from His chastisement. If the unbelievers themselves wished to pray, they may go ahead and do so. It was clear, however, that all such prayers by those who had been transported to Hell on accoun of their disbelief were absolutely futile.